Robert Biale Petite Syrah

Some time ago… when just getting familiar with the Valley… we had the privilege of meeting Mark Biale who was working as a hospitality representative at Cosentino winery. Over time, we had the privilege of getting to really know Mark and understand his knowledge of wine. Over time, he humbly shared information about his family’s winery “Robert Biale” winery.

At some point after Chris’ appreciation for Syrah, Mark offered a complimentary tasting so we made the trip. After a great experience and warm welcome, we enjoyed the wines so much that we became members of the Black Chicken Society.

Within this Blog experience, we are experiencing a bottle of 2007 Thomann Station Petite Syrah.

One of the first things I like to do after I pull the cork is take a look at it. You can sometimes tell the history of the bottle by reviewing the cork. Never mind smelling it, that simply does not work. (As Claude at Phelps once told me… “you might as well put it in your ear and see if you can hear the ocean!”) In all seriousness, the purpose of viewing the cork is to look for streaks down the entire cork to see if the wine has leaked out of the bottle. Another test is to see how much cork life there is left in the cork; is it intact, will it pull in one piece without crumbling, etc. Once you’ve pulled the cork, you will want to attempt breaking the cork in half by holding the cork between your two fingers and thumb. If the cork breaks in half without much resistance, its time to drink the wine or replace the cork if you think you wish to cellar it longer. I say drink the wine!

With this image, you are able to see there is a lot of life in the cork and that the bottle was cellared appropriately.

Now its time to sample/taste the wine. I noticed right away the “Inky Black” color of the Petite Syrah when I poured it in the glass. If you swirl the wine it leaves a nice heavy tint of burgundy-purple color around the glass.

Go ahead and give it a try…

Nose: I noticed Dark Cherry and Black Berry. Chris also caught a hint of Fig.

Taste: As you first take a sip the wines attacks the sides of your tongue. As you swallow you get a nice finish.

We enjoyed this wine with some Semolina Bread sticks with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt with 24 month aged Gouda cheese. The brand was “Boars Head” that we special ordered from Anoka Meats. The Gouda had a rich butterscotch finish. The wine and cheese paired very well with the bread stick.